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State Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) issued the following statement in response to the federal district court’s decision in the voter purging lawsuit:

“I disagree with the court’s decision. Secretary Husted has purged over 1 million voters from the rolls who remain eligible to vote. Voting infrequently and moving within the state of Ohio do not change a voter’s right or qualifications to vote. I am optimistic that the appeals court will correct this error of the lower court,” said Clyde. “People who have registered to vote, like Portage County resident and military veteran Larry Harmon, show up and cast a ballot on Election Day. But their ballots aren’t counted because they’ve been purged. That is wrong.”

“The National Voter Registration Act prohibits kicking voters off the rolls simply for not voting. The federal law also prohibits discriminatory and non-uniform purge mailings, like the Secretary is sending. Nothing in Ohio statute authorizes targeting and removing voters from the rolls for not voting. This case isn’t over.”

From 2011 to 2014, U.S. Election Assistance Commission reports show Ohio voters were purged for the following reasons:

Infrequent voting: 846,391

Moved: 480,957

Death: 330,077

Request of Voter: 24,354

Felony conviction: 28,960

Mental Incompetence: 106

"Not Categorized": 11,024

"Other": 131,427

TOTAL: 1,853,296

In 2015, according to Reuters, 144,000 voters were purged for infrequent voting or moving in Cuyahoga, Franklin and Hamilton counties alone. Statewide figures for the 2015 purge are not yet available.

State Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) today introduced House Bill 637, the Ohio Future Voter Act, which would allow 16- and 17-year-olds to pre-register to vote. Under the bill, pre-registered Ohioans would automatically be added to the state voter rolls before the next primary or general election in which they are eligible to vote.

State Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) today announced her new plan to close secret money loopholes, increase transparency and strengthen the ban on foreign money in Ohio elections with new legislation, the Ohio Democracy is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections Act, or DISCLOSE ACT.

State Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) today announced the release of over $1.23 million in state funds for various area projects, including improvements at the Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED), Kent State University (KSU) and Camp Ravenna.